India, May 20 -- Folk artiste Malini Awasthi believes in keeping up with changing times, whether it's through playback singing, or her recent collaboration with music composer Vishal Mishra. In the same vein, she also welcomes social media, calling it a boon for the genre. "Folk music has benefited from social media because earlier, there was no commercial market for it; no brands would reach out to folk artistes. But today, people do live sessions and share music online; they love forgotten songs. The impact of these social media platforms is proof that people want to listen to folk music," says the 58-year-old Padma Shri recipient. As for whether Bollywood music overshadows other forms, Malini muses, "There's no denying it, the power of Bollywood is huge. Even if a song is bad, it becomes a hit. I find it very strange that a song is forced on you." "The one good thing" about social media, Malini shares, is the "democratisation" of the industry. "Anybody can come and sing - social media has broken the shackles of monopoly of certain singers, labels and producers. Music cannot be controlled. You can debate the negative aspects, but the positive of it is it has brought colour and flavour. It has developed a taste among young audiences for purity in music," the singer signs off....